Kenya July 2011

Kenya July 2011 - Page Text Content

S: Kenya July 2011

1: Kenya July 2011 Photographs by Cindy Keat

4: The combined area of Tsavo West & East national parks makes this the largest wildlife reserve in Kenya, and one of the largest in the world, sprawling across 19,000 square kilometers of dry bush country | Amboseli national park is famous for its big game and scenic beauty with the landscape dominated by Mt. Kilimanjaro. The dry dusty appearance can be attributed to the volcanic ash from the last eruption of Mt. Kilimanjaro. | Shaba national reserve is where Joy Adamson experimented with the release of hand-reared leopards. | Samburu national reserve was set up in the late 1960's, a tract of country around the richest stretch of the Ewaso Ngiro River.

5: Maasai Mara national reserve is said to be the best animal reserve in Kenya. The reserve is a great wedge of undulating grassland in the remote, sparsely inhabited southwest part of the country, snuggled up against the Tanzanian border and, indeed, an extension of the even bigger Serengeti plains in Tanzania. Maasai Mara's climate with ample rain and new grass supports an annual wildebeest migration of one and a half million animals from the dry plains of Tanzania.

6: IN SEARCH OF THE BIG 5 ELEPHANT

7: LEOPARD | RHINO | CAPE BUFFALO | LION

8: David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust baby elephant and rhino orphanage

10: Nairobi school children visiting the baby elephant and rhino orphanage and the giraffe center.

21: Klipspringer The only antelope that walks on the tips of its hoofs

22: Spotted Hyaena the most common large predator

23: Warthog The most common of the African pigs

24: Samburu semi-nomandic tribesmen with native dances

26: Dinner in the bush | with the Masai Tribe

28: A visit to the Masai Village

32: Gemsbok also known as Beisa Oryx A large elegant and very distinctive antelope

33: Cokes Hartebeest A large antelope with sickle-shaped horns curving forwards,outwards and then backwards

34: Yellow Baboon They live in large groups (troops) each averaging around 30 individuals, dominated by a male

35: Mama and baby

37: Baboons There are five species of baboons. As baboons are non-territorial, the ranges of different troops overlap

38: Unstripped Ground Squirrel A true ground squirrel, never climbing trees. Banded Mongoose (right) The mongoose family has 37 species worldwide, of which 30 live in Africa.

40: Thomsons Gazelle They live in harem herds of one dominate male with, on average, 6-60 females, but during certain periods of the year, usually the dry season, they gather into herds of many thousands.

41: Grants Gazelle An inhabitant of the open plains and dry bush country. Males establish territories and gather together females forming harems of 10-30 in number.

42: Common Waterbuck A large robust antelope with a very distinctive white ring encircling the rump

43: Impala When under threat from predators they are quite fast and capable of leaps of 11m in length and 3m in height

44: Gerenuk With its very long, slender neck and long legs, this gazelle is unmistakable. They do not need to drink, obtaining their entire liquid requirement from their food.

46: The less famous animals of Kenya. Tribesmen herd the animals across the dry lands in search of water and vegetation for the animals to graze on.

50: The Grevy's is the largest member of the zebra family with narrow black stripes, on a back ground of white. The neck and body stripes are vertical, those on the neck continuing through the stiff hair of the mane, while those covering the legs are horizontal.

51: Grevy's Zebra

52: Common Zebra Broad blackish stripes, vertical on the neck and shoulders and horizontal on the rump and legs are set against an almost white body color. Each animal having a pattern as unique as a fingerprint.

55: Hippopotamus During the daytime they usually remain partially submerged to avoid overheating, sunburn and dehydration. At night leaving the water to graze, preferring short grassy pastures. | Crocodile Long jaws with prominent teeth; snout twice as long as it is broad. They can grow to over 6m in length.

68: Vervet Monkey A very well known monkey and is often found close to human habitation. This day the monkey is enjoying the sugar packets that he has stolen.

71: Vervet Monkey Don't mess with the monkeys

73: The Great Rift Valley The Rift Valley is a huge fault in the earth's surface, created around 20 million years ago by a series of cataclysmic volcanic events.

75: Topi A fairly large antelope built for speed and endurance. Although they drink regularly when water is available, they are able to survive up to a month without water.

77: The people of Kenya

78: Village markets of Kenya

81: Animals and Birds Each type of animal seems to have its following of birds. The birds feed off of ticks and blood sucking insects on the animals.

83: Mount Kilimanjaro

84: Wildebeest A large antelope of open grassland and lightly wooded regions where it gathers in enormous herds during its annual migration in a continual search for fresh grazing. This circular, seasonal migration from the southern Serengeti to the Masai Mara and covers a distance in excess of 800km and at times columns of animals stretch for 40km.

86: Rhinoceros A relic of prehistoric times, they are among the largest of herbivores, with barrel-shaped bodies, thick legs, and three-toed feet. Rhinos are solitary animals although females are usually accompanied by their most recent offspring.

89: African Elephant Is the largest land mammal with the cows weighing up to 3.5 tons and the bulls up to 6.3 tons

90: Lion The largest and most powerful of Africa's cats. They are unusual among cats in being very social, living in prides of 30 or more individuals.

93: Lion Pride members perform a greeting ritual upon meeting; they rub their heads and sides together, with tails looped high, while making friendly moaning sounds.

95: Leopards being mainly nocturnal are seldom seen by day, but can be found wherever there is cover and sufficient food, preferring wooded savannahs and rocky outcrops. | Leopard A large powerful cat, with short powerful limbs, heavy torso, thick neck, and long tail. The Leopard eats whatever form of animal protein is available, from termites to a Waterbuck.

97: Cheetah The world's fastest land mammal, built for sheer speed.The body is sleek and flexible, with a powerful chest and very long legs.

99: Cheetah They will stalk as close as possible before attacking with a final burst of speed of up to 100km/h